A New Kind Of Rivalry
by letloveguideyou
Summary: Swan Queen Hogwarts AU. Does it need further explanation? Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! After seeing a lot of Tumblr posts about this, I finally decided on doing something about it. So my two loves HP and OUAT collide in this story. I hope you like it. Please tell me what you think! R&R!**

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Chapter 1: King's Cross Station

"Emma, come on, honey, it's time to go!" Mary Margaret said as she knocked on the girl's door.

"Coming!" Emma replied as she attempted to push her trunk out of her bedroom.

"Need a hand there, Emma?" David said smiling as he saw the blonde's effort. "Wingardium Leviosa" he said, flicking his wand and guiding the trunk down the stairs, outside their country house and into the van.

"Ugh, so not fair, David!" Emma shouted.

"Well, that's why you're going to school, to learn magic, young lady, and you know you can call me dad" he chuckled affectionately while ruffling Emma's hair.

"All set, then?" Mary Margaret asked.

"Yeah, just let me go get Merlin" Emma said as she ran up the stairs. She came back down holding a big cage with a silver owl. "Good boy, ready to meet your new home?" she cooed as her owl hooted softly inside his cage.

"Mom, why can't I go to Hogwarts too?" a small brown-haired boy with big eyes looking up to his mother asked.

"Not yet, Henry, in four more years" Mary Margaret replied as Henry's face fell a little.

"But you'll get to see this really cool train at the station, the Hogwarts Express" Emma chimed in, trying to cheer her adoptive brother up.

Emma Swan was thrilled to finally go to Hogwarts. Three years ago, she wouldn't have imagined her life would be like this. She had been living in muggle foster homes until she turned 8 and her magical abilities started to surface. When she accidentally set her 13 year old foster brother's hair on blue fire because he was bullying her, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had showed up at her doorstep to clean the mess, erase memories, and place Emma under the care of a magical family, the Whites.

At first it had been too much for Emma, and she acted shy and quiet around her new family, trying to grasp in her 8 year old head that she was a witch, that there was a whole world she never thought existed before, and that more importantly, she had a family that actually loved her as she was. Soon enough, Emma began to feel more at home with the Whites, even though she still struggled to call them mom and dad, and wondered why on earth did they still want her.

They arrived to King's Cross Station in a hurry to get to Platform 9 ¾.

"Emma, wait up, slow down, there's enough time!" Mary Margaret said as she grabbed Henry's hand and tried to keep up with Emma, who was enthusiastically pushing her cart to get to the platform.

"I don't wanna be late!" Emma replied as she kept up her pace and had both parents rushing behind her into the brick wall of the platform.

"Emma, be careful. You're gonna…" she heard David's voice behind her but _Smash! _ Too late! Her cart had bumped into a brunette girl's cart and both their trunks now lay on the ground while Merlin hissed angrily.

"Oh crap, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to" Emma said.

"Emma, language!" she heard Mary Margaret's voice approaching.

The other girl chuckled haughtily at Emma's swearing as she stood up and shook the dust off her dress.

"It's ok, I'm sure it was just an…" the brunette replied.

"Well, well, if it isn't the White's stray dog. I knew you would only be trouble when I heard they had adopted you. Looks like you're proving me right" a tall dark haired witch stood looking down at Emma with disdain.

"Don't you dare talk to my daughter like that, Cora" Mary Margaret said angrily.

"I was just pointing out the obvious. Come on Regina, you don't want to be associating with this scum of unknown origins and questionable upbringing" Cora sneered, as a scared but proud Regina trailed after her mother leaving Emma dumbstruck at the lady's rudeness, but feeling insecure at the reminder of who she was.

"Who was that?" Emma spat angrily.

"_That_ is Cora Mills, head of the Wizengamot, and she hates_ your_ mother, because she hated _her _mother, because… It's complicated," he sighed. "But just stay away from the Mills in general. I don't know about their youngest daughter, but they've all been in Slytherin so far, and let's say they're one of the few families after Voldemort's time that still believes all wizards and witches should all be pure blood." David explained.

"Is that why she said all those things? Because I'm an orphan and don't know who my parents are?" Emma asked, trying to hide the tremor in her voice.

"Emma, you're not an orphan." Mary Margaret interjected.

"Yeah, you're my sister!" Henry added trying to cheer her up.

"Thanks kid…" Emma sighed becoming wary of her near future at Hogwarts and this Regina Mills. "Well, I better get going… I'll write to you when I get there" she said as she hugged David and Mary Margaret.

"I'm sure you'll make many new friends" Mary Margaret said.

"And remember that even if you get sorted into Slytherin, we love you no matter what" David said teasingly.

"Ok" Emma smiled. "Bye buddy!" she said giving Henry a hug. "Write to me ok? And I'll see you at Christmas"

Henry nodded as she turned around and saw Emma jump inside the train, a mass of blond curls disappearing among the rest of the students.

* * *

"Hey, is this seat taken?" Emma asked a boy with brown hair that was wearing a Gryffindor scarf. He looked older than her but he couldn't be older than 13.

"Nope" he smiled as she sat down in the seat in front of him. "Name's August"

"I'm Emma, Emma Swan" Emma replied. Emma had chosen to keep the name on her birth certificate instead of adopting the White surname. Sometimes it made her happy to remember that there was a family that accepted her for who she was, but other times it reminded her of a past full of pain and misunderstanding. But it kept it real, Emma thought. It was her way of guarding herself against abandonment or rejection.

"Well, nice to meet you Emma Swan. I'm a second year" August said.

"Really? Cool! Tell me everything about Hogwarts. I don't want to look like a complete moron when I get there. I mean, I have heard about Hogwarts , my adoptive parents are both wizards _and_ my neighbors are _the_ Weasleys, but they only have baby Rose, not anyone that is actually my age, or going to Hogwarts at the moment, you know?" Emma said without catching her breath.

August chuckled "A bit of a rambler, aren't you?"

"Sorry, I do that when I'm excited or nervous, and right now I'm a bit of both" she replied.

"Nah, that's ok. Well, there are some things I can tell you about Hogwarts that you won't hear from anyone else, knowledge from the legendary Weasley twins…" he started.

"August! We were wondering where you were hiding!" a tall girl with straight brown hair with a red streak and another brunette with her hair on a neat ponytail stumbled into their compartment.

"Hey there, my favorite ladies! Emma, these are Ruby and Belle. They're first years as well. Guys, this is Emma, my new friend. If you want to win points, make friends with this one, I'm telling you" he said pointing to Ruby. "Her grandma is one of the teachers."

"Are you kidding me? You go for a year thinking you'll be away from your parents but now I have a strict grandma watching my every move" Ruby sighed in defeat.

"Oh, come on, she's not that bad" August said.

"Right, wait till I start taking her class. She won't cut me any slack." Ruby replied.

"So guys what house do you want to be in?" August asked.

"Is that even a question? Obviously Gryffindor!" she replied confidently.

"Hey, I'm already liking you!" Ruby smiled "Belle here wants to get sorted into Ravenclaw and I can actually see her there. She's a big nerd!" she said affectionally.

Emma enjoyed the playful banter with her new friends the rest of the way, so much that she forgot about the incident with Regina earlier. _This was going to be a good year, _Emma thought to herself as August showed them a trick that made your nose grow when you were lying.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! I'm glad to hear you are enjoying this story =) I'm having tons of fun writing it! And just so you know, I will take prompts and try to incorporate them into the story. I pretty much know where this story is going, but if there's something you want to see, I'll try to write it in. R&R!**

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Chapter 2: The Sorting Hat

Regina stepped down from the train accompanied by her childhood friend Kathryn.

"So I heard the Slytherin common room is the biggest one of all the houses and that pure blood families get the best rooms..." Kathryn whispered.

"You know we don't get to choose out houses, Kathryn, it's that stupid sorting hat who ultimately decides." Regina replied.

Kathryn kept talking. "Well, yeah, but you're a Mills. Your whole family has been in Slytherin. Your sister is in Slytherin. How can you not end up in Slytherin? From my family I've only had an uncle who was sorted into Hufflepuff, can you imagine? He was the laugh of the whole family. I really hope I can represent the Nolan name worthily"

Regina muted Kathryn's incessant chatter as her head began filling up with worry. _What if I don't end in Slytherin? What would mother say?_ Cora would probably be disappointed in her and it would give Zelena another reason to put her down. Regina knew that Ravenclaw could be a possibility and that maybe it wouldn't make her mother that angry. _ Right,_ Regina smiled smugly to herself_ ; Mother gets angry when things do not go exactly her way. I really don't want to disappoint her…Please let it be Slytherin, not Ravenclaw, not Hufflepuff, and definitely NOT Gryffindor._

…and don't you think Killian Jones has gotten really hot?" Kathryn kept on rambling.

"Huh?"

"Regina, you haven't been listening to a word I've been saying, have you?" Kathryn asked.

"Well, is it any of my concern?" Regina asked coldly.

"Well, no but…" Kathryn answered.

"Then why do you expect me to listen?" Regina smirked.

"You can be a real bitch sometimes, you know that?" Kathryn said turning her back to Regina.

"I know, and yet you still are my friend" the brunette replied.

Regina knew that it was only because they had grown up together, and that Kathryn's parents wanted to keep a good image before her mother and the Ministry of Magic, that they were still friends. They were very different from each other and while Kathryn had become more recently obsessed with teen witch stuff, like Quidditch players and the latest magical make up, Regina had become more and more of a loner delving deeper into her books. At first Cora had praised her daughter's high ambitions, but soon enough Regina discovered that knowing things would never be enough for her mother, and she was forced to attend to all sorts of social gatherings and be paraded as The Wizengamot's Head youngest daughter.

Regina appreciated having Kathryn around, though. Even though the girl was pretty shallow, her intentions were good. It also gave Regina the illusion that she was not alone and had someone who could at least understand part of her life.

* * *

A short chubby witch with grayish hair and long black robes addressed the students huddled in the stairs "All right, first years. My name is Professor Lucas. We're about to enter the Great Hall where you will proceed to your sorting and then have dinner with your respective Houses: Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Slytherin. After dinner, you will follow your House prefect who will lead you to your common rooms. Is that clear?"

The students nodded and started walking as the huge doors opened displaying the Great Hall before them.

"So _that's_ your Granny. She really doesn't seem that bad…" Emma said nudging Ruby.

"Appearances can be deceiving Swan, appearances can be deceiving" Ruby sighed dramatically as they trailed behind the rest of the first years.

The first years huddled at the front of the Hall waiting for their names to be called.

"Danielle Avery" A tall brunette with white skin and blue eyes stepped forward and sat on the wooden stool.

"RAVENCLAW!" the hat called loudly as the Ravenclaw table erupted in cheers.

Emma started growing more and more nervous as they started to call their friends' names.

"Belle French"

"RAVENCLAW!" Ruby nudged Emma and turned to the Gryffindor table meeting August's eyes. "Told ya" she told Belle as she stepped down beaming and walked to her table.

"Killian Jones"

_Oh God, he's so full of himself _Emma thought as the boy wearing _eyeliner? Seriously? _sat in the stool smirking at a group of first year girls, and apparently Ruby included, who were blushing.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat called loudly.

"Ruby Lucas" Emma squeezed Ruby's arms in reassurance as she walked forward.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"Regina Mills" Emma watched as the brunette walked proudly towards the stool yet she could tell Regina was really nervous and tense. Emma had always been pretty good at reading people and apparently this Regina Mills was no exception.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat loudly called.

_ Well I guess David was right then, all Mills ended up in Slytherin. _Emma was lost in her own thoughts only noticing Regina's blonde friend also get sorted into Slytherin, and then her name was called.

"Emma Swan" She only saw Regina's eyebrows shoot up in surprise at the sound of her last name but she shook it off and focused on the hat placed on top of her head.

"WELL WELL WELL, WHO DO WE HAVE HERE?" the hat started speaking into her mind. "EMMA SWAN. CUNNING SIDE. VERY PERCEPTIVE. FIERCE HEART AND LOYAL TO THE END. COULD BE IN ANY OF THE FOUR, YET ONLY ONE IS BEST. WHERE TO PLACE YOU? OH I KNOW... GRYFFINDOR!"

Emma grinned in relief and sprinted to her table where August met her in a warm hug. "Welcome to the best house, Emma!"

The sorting ceremony came to an end as the approximately 40 first years got sorted into their houses, and the banquet began.

* * *

Regina had been relieved to end in Slytherin. The hat had almost sent her to Ravenclaw but she had pleaded him not to. She was terrified of what her mother would say and would rather be stuck in her family's house even if she had to endure her sister who was a prefect, than face Cora Mills's wrath and disappointment. Nevertheless, she enjoyed her dinner with the rest of her fellow housemates.

At the end of dinner and Professor Mc Gonnagal's beginning of the year speech, she felt a presence behind her and heard an unmistakable voice.

"Oh dear little sis, I'm so glad you ended up in Slytherin with me. We're going to have so much fun together" Zelena told her in a sickly sweet and fake voice. Regina just rolled her eyes and sighed. "First years, please follow me. I'll show you to Slytherin's common room." Zelena called.

Regina was turning a corridor when she suddenly bumped into a mass of black robes and familiar blonde curls.

"Excuse me! Do you just make a habit of running into people's ways?" an annoyed Regina told Emma. She looked at a clearly apologetic Emma and to Ruby who was beside her. "Well, look at that, I guess my mother was right about you then, Emma _Swan_, isn't it? You're just scum and it seems you found the rest of the scum pretty easily" she said, sneering at Ruby with disgust. "Did you know _her_ family is accused of associating with werewolves?"

"Shut it, Mills" Ruby replied angrily.

"And what I've heard about your family is pretty dead on, Regina. You're just a bunch of pompous bullies" Emma snapped.

"Oh God," a grave voice spoke behind them. They both turned to see none other than the headmistress standing behind them. "I hope you two aren't the new Potter and Malfoy, Miss Swan and Miss Mills. I can't afford any more headaches. Now if you'll excuse me" Professor Mc Gonnagal said, as she turned into the corridor that led to her office, leaving a speechless Emma and Regina behind.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for all your support! And remember, send me your prompts if you think of anything you would like to see in the story =). Till next week!**

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Chapter 3: More than a Magical Mess

"All right dearies, you will pair up with someone other than your House to foster … _collaboration_" Professor Gold giggled in a high pitched voice. Gold was an old hunched man, with a funny accent, but he had the reputation of being the best Potions Professor after Snape, who was a known legend in the Magical World.

Everybody paired up with another student, Ruby with Belle, and Emma with a girl named Aurora Briar from Hufflepuff. Kathryn quickly ambushed Killian asking him to be her partner.

Suddenly the door opened and Regina Mills came in "Excuse me professor, I got the ingredients you asked me to bring from your office."

"Excellent! 5 points to Slytherin for volunteering" Gold clapped his hands. "Since everyone seems to already have a partner, Miss Mills, come up to the front, please." The Potions professor called her forward. Regina smiled pleased and approached the teacher's desk.

Ruby coughed while saying "Suck up". A couple of students giggled.

"Miss Lucas? Is there a problem over there?" Professor Gold asked.

"Not at all, professor," Ruby replied innocently.

Regina had clearly heard and was doing her best to hide her anger.

"Let's see if you share in your sister's potion making skills, dearie. Based on these ingredients, what are we doing today?" Gold asked Regina.

"Um, a sleeping potion?" Regina answered hesitantly.

"Yes, Miss Mills. You're quite right. What we'll be doing today is a Sleeping Draught. This potion is effective and is the mild version of the Draught of the Living Death. The difference lies in…"

Belle's hand quickly shot upward.

"Yes, Miss French?" Gold asked.

"The Sleeping Draught is made with Flobberworm mucus while the Draught of the Living death contains a Sophopohorous bean and a Sloth brain, making the effects last much longer" Belle answered.

"Well, Miss Mills, it seems like you've got some competition over here. Good job Miss French, 5 points for Ravenclaw" Gold said. "There is also a peculiar difference." Gold continued. "While the Sleeping Draught's effects vanish with time, the Draught of the Living Death's curse can only be broken by someone with a deep emotional connection to the other person, or as some may call it, _Twu Wuv… _Now, please get to work."

After a few minutes Gold spoke again. "When the lavender and valerian are crushed, come for the Flobberworm mucus. It has a foul smell but if you wear your mask…"

Suddenly there was a loud thud and Emma gasped watching Aurora collapse unconscious on the dungeon floor. "…_that _won't happen" Gold remarked pointing to Aurora. "Some people have an extra sensitivity to its smell, but worry not, dearies, she'll wake up in a day or two… hopefully" Gold giggled. "Now please continue working while I take Miss Briar to the infirmary… Miss Swan, in light of recent events, Miss Mills will be your new partner."

"Great…" Emma muttered as Regina sat on the stool beside her with a smug look on her face.

"Look," Regina started. "Neither of us wants this. So just let me do this and don't interrupt me? I don't want you to ruin my grades." Emma sighed and rolled her eyes. Regina started to work diligently on the potion.

Emma then took out her sketchbook and began tracing a picture of Regina as the Evil Queen of one of her favorite fairy tales, _Snow White_. Regina gave her a pointed stare.

"What?" Emma pressed the notebook against her chest. "You told me to stay out of your way. I might as well do something useful with my time…Eh… You missed a stir" Emma pointed nonchalantly to the potion.

"I did NOT. _You_ were drawing ..." Regina argued through gritted teeth.

Emma shrugged. "I'm good at multitasking…Fine, suit yourself. You'll see when your grade is not so _perfect _anymore" Emma replied mockingly.

"Are… are you sure? " Regina asked hesitantly.

In that moment, she saw a glimpse of the Regina she had met at the station, before Cora had humiliated her. Regina was a proud but deeply insecure girl and Emma perceived that. If she thought her walls were high, this girl had a bloody China wall around herself.

"Yep" Emma said popping the p at the end and nodding her head "Positive, and it's my grade too, you know, so you can trust me on this one."

"Ok" Regina replied reluctantly and stirred and eighth time grinning as the potion turned a clear teal color.

"Told ya…" Emma said raising her eyebrows and giving her a lopsided smile.

Professor Gold returned to the classroom and began checking each of their potions placing the successful ones on vials and placing the rest inside a cauldron to be vanished after class.

"Well, Good job Miss Swan and Miss Mills. Not many first years achieve this level of precision on their first assignment. Five points to each."

Emma and Regina beamed at each other before they realized what they were doing and their faces turned back to scowls.

Kathryn joined Regina at her side and began complaining. "How did you do it, Regina? Killian and mine was a swampy brown color, not teal like yours…"

"Well it seems, the ugly-duckling's useful for something" Regina replied making Kathryn snicker.

"Excuse me; what did you just call me?" Emma turned around perplexed and slightly annoyed.

Regina gained confidence with her friend's support. "You heard me… UGLY DUCKLING" Regina said enunciating every word with disdain. "That's what you are and always will be, orphan scum. Now, get out of my way."

Ruby had heard some of what Regina has said and approached Emma.

"Ems, you ok?" Emma gulped biting back tears, and nodded to Ruby. As Regina started walking she put her foot in front of her making her trip on top of the cauldron filled with the discarded potion. Ruby let out a loud laugh seeing Regina's robe and hair filled with goop of different colors.

Unfortunately, the incident wasn't unnoticed by Gold. "What is going on here?"

"Professor, _Emma_…" Kathryn began accusingly.

"No! I don't want to hear it. Class dismissed!" The rest of the students scurried out of the classroom. "And the four of you. Detention… For a week!" Gold said sharply. "I expected better from you Miss Mills. Your mother would not be proud of this." Regina's face fell at his words.

"But..." Regina began.

"_Evanesco!" _Gold flicked his wand, and the mess disappeared. "No buts, the four of you will come to my office every night after dinner." And with that, he disappeared behind his office door.

Emma and Ruby were holding back tears of laughter at the sight of Regina. Kathryn rushed to her side trying to help her.

"Well, that was fun." Emma said in a loud voice. "And Regina…" Emma turned and look at a the flabbergasted brunette still lying on floor. "Ugly duckling? Really? I didn't know you liked _muggle _literature." she said with a smirk, as she left the classroom with Ruby, their arms linked together and both still chuckling.

"Oh wow, Ems, you were awesome!" Ruby said excitedly as they were heading back to their common room. "I mean, we are getting detention, but watching a grimy Regina was totally worth it."

"I have to agree with you on that one. I should've waited until Gold's class was over, but the goop was too much of a temptation. Ugh," Emma sighed. "But now I'm gonna miss watching Glee! I've only managed to get the Wi-Fi coverage spell I'm inventing, to work at night."

"You and your muggle things…" Ruby chuckled.

"Well, one of the advantages of growing up as a muggle and being adopted by a wizard family is that you get the best of both worlds. And believe me… I will get you to watch Glee. It's all part of my evil master plan…" Emma stated.

"_Crummy Crumpets" _Emma told to the fat lady as they arrived to their destination.

"Sometimes I wonder if you were sorted into the right house, Ems." Ruby said lying down on the couch and sticking a licorice wand in her mouth."I mean, I love that you're in Gryffindor, but creating a spell? That's like, advanced stuff, even if it's just for Tollyvision and Imtarnot. You could be a Ravenclaw, _or_ a Slytherin, considering what you did to Mills."

"It's television and internet" Emma chuckled as she sat down on the carpet in front of Ruby. "And you know, Snape invented potions while he was still at Hogwarts. Thanks to him we have the new edition of Advanced Potion Making, _and _he was in Slytherin, not Ravenclaw…" Emma retorted.

"See, you just proved my point…NERD!" Ruby teased.

"It's not my fault I like fun facts! I spent most of my time at the foster system reading books… It just became a habit I guess." Emma shrugged.

"Oh, I know! You could be the half-blood princess! See, I also know something about Snape" Ruby chimed.

"I don't even know if I'm half-blood Ruby…" Emma sighed, her mood dropping instantly remembering what Regina had said. "Orphan, remember? Guess Regina was right..." Emma muttered to herself. She had tried to keep her feelings at bay, but deep down she knew she was, indeed, the ugly-duckling, and even though she knew she now had a family that loved her, she still wondered why had her real parents left her or if they had ever loved her. A few tears escaped her eyes at the thought.

"Oh Ems, come here." Ruby said, pulling Emma into a hug. "Don't let her words get you down. That's exactly what she wants. And you'll never have to be alone anymore. You've got us too! I'm not going anywhere."

Emma wiped her eyes with her hands and smiled at her friend.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: This one's a bit shorter cause it's a bit of a transition chapter, but I'll get to the good part soon. Also, I'm on a trip with friends so next week's chapter will probably be delayed a couple of days. Thank you for your follows/ favorites and reviews. It is great to know some of you are enjoying this as much as I am enjoying writing it. Another thing: Don't hate me for pairing up our beautiful Swan and Queen with other people. We need their back story to lead up to the rest. But SQ obviously will happen!**

**Till next time and remember, I take prompts... =) R&R!**

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Chapter 4

Winter Breaks

For the next week, the four girls had to scrub in complete silence, and without any magic, each of the cauldrons used by the students that day. Gold had placed a word detector spell in the dungeons and threatened to make them stay for another week if any words were exchanged. This gave them no chance for any hurtful remarks and the evenings passed by uneventful, with the exception of angry glances.

Regina's mom had indeed heard about her daughter's detention, from none other than Zelena, Regina's older sister. "I hope this is a one time thing Regina," her mother had written in a letter that arrived even before she had her first detention. "Please don't disappoint me again and try following your sister's example, like a true Mills would."

Even though Regina had gathered a faithful group of lackeys that seemed to follow her every move, she was trying to be good and please her mother while staying out of Zelena's radar as much as possible. She was also trying to follow her mother's advice of being a _true Mills,_ so her arrogance and boastfulness had become one of her characteristic traits. This made Regina feel important and secure in her reputation, but deep down, she knew it was all an act. Killian and Kathryn however, followed her everywhere and tried to make every non-pure blood's life miserable.

Yet, aside from a couple of snide remarks, Emma was having a great year. Emma and Ruby had hit it off since the beginning, and along with Belle and Ariel from Ravenclaw, they had become inseparable.

* * *

"Rubes, can I ask you a question?" Emma said while lying down on her bunk bed on top of Ruby. It was almost Christmas and both girls were leaving to visit their families. Emma was excited to see them again, but she also had found a family in her new friends and was kind of bummed she wouldn't be spending time with them.

"Yeah, sure Ems, what's up?" Ruby said.

"Is it true?... The... the werewolf thing?" Emma hesitantly asked.

"Umm.. kinda?" Ruby answered.

Emma jumped down from her bunk bed and sat cross legged at the foot of Ruby's bed.

"But it's full moon today! How can you be a werewolf?" Emma whispered.

" Well I'm like a quarter werewolf. Granny's the real deal, but she found an antidote. I mean… I could still turn, but I would be fully conscious. It's just me inside the wolf, I don't lose control. But, I have this…" she said, pointing to the red cloak around her. "McGonnagall told me it was better to not cause a scandal among the other kids, so I wear it , but I do miss running in the woods. It's the best!"

"That sounds awesome. I wish I could do something like that. I've always wondered what it would be like to become an animagus….Thank you for sharing this with me, though" Emma said.

"No prob, Emma. You're my best friend after all..." Ruby grinned.

"One of your best friends, you mean.." Emma interrupted. Belle had clearly been in the picture longer than Emma had.

"Well.." a soft blush crept on Ruby's cheeks.

"Oh my gosh! You like Belle don't you?" Emma gasped.

Ruby nodded sheepishly.

"Well I guess that's me coming out to you" Ruby chuckled. "Are you cool with that?"she asked.

Emma answered " Of course! Love is love, Ruby, no matter who… I... I think I might be bi.."she added more to herself than to Ruby.

"Well, me love me some girls…" she chuckled. "Belle's been my first and only crush, since.. .well since forever. I just think we're still too young. I mean, we're 12! SO it's worth to wait right?"

Emma smiled at her friend. "Yeah, totally, give it a couple of more years. Besides, by then you'll know exactly how to make her fall head over heels with you" she nudged her with her elbow.

Ruby chuckled shyly."Good night Emma, I'll be waiting for my Christmas present!"

"And you won't be disappointed" Emma said.

* * *

Regina sat down in the library her head between her hands, trying to bite back tears. Her mother was taking Zelena on an official Ministry trip during Christmas break, leaving Regina behind insisting that she needed the time to study and get extra credit, in order to excel like her sister. It seemed that she hadn't forgotten Regina's incident at the beginning of the year. Regina had kept up perfect grades and was top of her class on every subject, except for Transfiguration, in which the blonde Gryffindor seemed to excel at, but it looked like it was never going to be enough for her mother.

Regina envied Emma. She was the second top in all the classes, yet she always seemed so carefree about her grades and about what other people thought about her, and apparently her adoptive family thought she was good enough to go home on Christmas break.

These things were passing through Regina's head as she sat in the now empty library, when she heard a voice. "You okay?"

Regina turned and saw deep blue eyes staring full of kindness and concern. It was a girl from Ravenclaw. Danielle Avery, Regina thought… that was her name right? She wiped her eyes and answered.

"Umm… not really..." She was usually very guarded with her emotions but this girl inspired her confidence.

"Wanna talk about it?" Danielle asked tilting her head to the side, which Regina found adorable.

"Umm… not really" Regina repeated while looking down.

"OK, tell you what… McGonnagall gave us permission to go to Hogsmeade for the day, even us first years, so would you like to come? It might help you get your mind off from whatever's bothering you"

"OK…" Regina answered more calmly. It was the first time she felt she didn't have to put any appearances and just be herself.

"All right, let's go" Danielle smiled and reached out her hand to Regina.

Regina's stomach did an excited flip and she couldn't help but to grab the other girl's hand while smiling back.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hello everyone! Here it is again! A little late but I've been on a trip and traveling the whole day (and night)... I hope you like it, and I repeat my warning, things need to happen in order for others to happen later, so be patient and you'll get rewarded. Read and review! Till next week!**

* * *

CHAPTER 5: Her Match

"All right team, I hope you're all ready for Slytherin tomorrow" said Jefferson, captain of the Gryffindor team. I know there's a party for the sixth and seventh years tonight, and even though I'm not a party pooper, I would rather not have you sneaking firewhisky in tonight. It is important we all are at our best since this game will define who goes against Ravenclaw in the final. As for you first through fifth years, well your time for fun will come " he chuckled. The older team members looked at the younger ones either endearingly or mockingly.

Emma huffed to Ruby beside her and crossed her arms. They both were the only second years in the team. Ruby was the seeker and Emma had become one of the chasers. Jefferson was the keeper, the beaters were a fourth year named Mulan and a seventh year named Leroy. A sixth year called Eric, and August, were the other chasers. Everyone was impressed at Emma's ability to keep focused on the quaffle while dodging bludgers at an insane speed. She had the score of most goals in the season and had charmed the whole team with her wits and sense of humor.

Unfortunately, playing against Slytherin meant playing against Regina Mills who had become the keeper and a very good one at that. Coincidentally, she kept the record of more saves in the season.

* * *

Regina sighed as she pulled up her hair into a braid and leaned back onto her bed. She heard a knock on the door.

"Come in…" she said as she adjusted her green and silver uniform. "Dani!" she said startled. "What are you doing here?_ How _did you get _in here_?"

Dani smiled and sat in the bed in front of Regina. "I have my ways," she said, pushing her black rimmed glasses back to her nose.

"Of course, nerdy…" Regina smiled.

"Hey! I wanted to wish my best friend good luck on her game, before anyone else did!" she replied. "How are you?"

Regina smiled shyly. "To tell you the truth… nervous."

" Oh come on! You'll do great. Just keep up your signature broom flips and no quaffle will get in." Dani said confidently

"Um, you do realize that if we beat Gryffindor I'll be playing against your house?" Regina said.

"Yeah, well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it" Dani said bumping her shoulder onto Regina's as they left the common room, earning a few curious glances from Slytherin members.

* * *

"Ok, let's play nice shall we? But let the best team win" Graham said jokingly as he winked in Gryffindor's direction.

Graham had become flying instructor right after graduating from Hogwarts. He had been the Gryffindor captain before Jefferson. He was supposed to remain impartial while being the referee but his enthusiasm for Gryffindor clearly showed during the game. He was really hot and had most of the girls swooning after him.

He blew the whistle and the quaffle went up in the air. Emma zoomed to get it as she passed it and received it again attempting her first shot within the first minute of the game. Unfortunately, Regina was faster and she stopped the ball passing it to Slytherin, as a bludger made Emma do a 360 degree spin in the air.

"Think you can get past me Swan?" Regina said mockingly.

Emma turned as she received another pass, shooting it to the left hoop, catching Regina off guard, and scoring the first ten points for Gryffindor.

"No, Regina…I_ know_ I can" she smirked as she high fived August and zoomed to the other side of the field.

The match had been really intense. Emma had scored 3 of the four goals against Slytherin, but Felix, Slytherin's chaser had just tied the score to a 40-40. Peter, Slytherin's seeker was chasing Ruby's broom as they went for the snitch. They both dove down towards it, but Ruby was faster and she got the snitch about 4 feet above the ground. Gryffindor erupted in cheers as Emma flew down to congratulate her best friend.

"Who's my little wolfie! You did it Ruby! We won thanks to you!" Emma squealed excited. She started walking, but felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Neal Cassidy standing behind her.

"Hey, Emma," he began.

"Ruby, give me a minute, I'll meet you at the common room" Emma said. Ruby wiggled her eyebrows at Emma but then turned and left following the rest of the team. Emma just shook her head. She did find Neal cute, but she didn't know him very well. He was a fourth year from Hufflepuff and they were both chasers for their respective houses. She turned towards him.

"Hey Neal! What's up?" Emma said casually.

"Eh… I just wanted to tell you that you did a great job out there today!" he said as he shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Thanks! Wish us luck with Ravenclaw! That's gonna be one tough game!" Emma said smiling.

"Oh, you'll do great. You're the best chaser in Hogwarts" Neal said.

"You really think so?" Emma asked as she leaned her head to the side.

Neal nodded "Hey, I was wondering… Would you like to have a picnic with me this Friday? I know the house elves in the kitchen and I thought we could…"

Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw Regina giving her a death glare. On her side, however, a tall black haired girl, who Emma recognized from Ravenclaw. She had her arm around Regina and was trying to calm her down. Emma felt weirdly annoyed by this, but quickly dismissed the feeling.

"Um…sure" Emma replied quickly feeling the inexplicable need to get out of there. "See you Friday, Neal!" she said as she turned and walked down the hallway, leaving himstanding there with a perplexed face.

* * *

"I can't believe it! She just gets on my nerves, She thinks she's better than everybody else! She's nothing but a stray dog!" Regina spoke angrily. They were back to Regina's room. Dani had cast a spell that recorded and echoed the password to get into Slytherin's common room.

"You know, she could be a pure blood, don't you? And I'm a half blood _and_ your best friend" Dani argued.

"I suppose you're right, I'm sorry, it's just hard when for the past thirteen years, I've lived with people that think blood is everything." Regina sighed more calmly.

"No hard feelings, I get it, you closeted Ravenclaw. " Dani laughed.

"Oh shut up! You're never gonna let that one down are you?" Regina said. A few months ago, she had confessed to Dani what had happened with the sorting hat and how she had almost ended in Ravenclaw.

"Nope, but I don't know... " Dani moved to sit next to Regina. "I like that I know a little bit more about the real Regina inside you, the one that doesn't need to keep up with appearances."

"Well, I feel I can be that Regina around you. You kind of bring it out of me" Regina smiled.

Both girls suddenly realized how close their faces were. Regina gazed at clear blue eyes looking at her with shyness. Regina gulped and looked down at Dani's lips. She had never experienced this before, but she wanted Dani to kiss her. As she leaned closer, their lips met in a sweet kiss. It was short and tender, and as they separated, a genuine smile appeared on both of their faces and Regina felt a joy she hadn't felt since she was a little girl.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hi everybody! Sorry for the delay! It's been a busy week, and I hit a bit of writer's block but here it is! Please keep reviewing and telling me what you like, what you don't, what you wish would happen... I can't make any promises but I do try to incorporate your suggestions into the story. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Chapter 6

A Thin Line

Emma was getting more and more annoyed at Regina. The problem was, she didn't know why. Ever since the start of their third year, her insults had gotten softer, and not once had she teased her about her unknown origin. Emma kind of missed the snarky remarks she had become so used to. In a way, Emma had found her equal in Regina. Even though they had been at each other's throats since the beginning of their time at Hogwarts, Emma had found a secret thrill in their arguments. Even if it was about something academic, they usually kept arguing back and forth until a professor or one of their friends hauled them out of it. These past months however, Regina had changed; she looked almost… _happy. _This was secretly driving Emma nuts and she was determined to find out why.

"Emma, so what do you think?"

"Huh?" Emma asked distracted.

"I was asking you, before your mind went I don't know where, if you wanted to go to your first Hogsmeade trip with me. I could show you around. You can tell Ruby and her girlfriend…what's her name again? I mean, if you want... " Neal said.

Apparently Ruby had taken Emma's advice to wait a _couple _of years to ask Belle out a bit too seriously. And now, every time Emma saw her she seemed to be with a different girl.

"I think it's Alice now," Emma said chuckling to Neal. "And yes, I would love to go to Hogsmeade with you" she said placing a quick kiss on Neal's lips.

"Great! It won't be any trip to Hogsmeade. I'll take you through one of the secret passages" Neal said raising his eyebrows.

"My, my, who knew a Hufflepuff had such a sneaky side..." Emma teased, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Emma had been dating Neal since the beginning of third year. She liked him, and he made living at Hogwarts exciting. Even though August had taught Emma some things about Hogwarts, it was Neal who had showed her most of the secret passages, told her which house elves she could trust, and had explained to her what the Room of Requirement was, after she had found a home theater with all her favorite series and films, when she had been thinking about going to the movies.

* * *

"In here!" Regina laughed as she pulled Dani behind the door to the empty classroom.

"Gosh, that was close!" Regina said as she panted against the wall. They had almost kissed outside in one of the empty halls, but they heard Kathryn's voice and ran to get away from her curious glances and questions.

"Yeah, and we have this place to ourselves before class starts….Ugh," Dani sighed, placing her arms around Regina's waist. "I wish we didn't have to keep this a secret…"

"I know it sucks, Dani, but if Kathryn or someone else finds out about us, my mother would know in no time, and I'm really scared of what she could do. Trust me, it's better this way." Regina said as her forehead touched Dani's.

"Well, I'd rather have you like this than not having you at all." Dani replied.

"Really?" Regina asked as her eyes lit up.

"Really" Dani smiled and kissed Regina sweetly on her lips.

"Hey," Regina placed a hand on Dani's cheek. "Hogsmeade is coming up this weekend. Do you wanna make it, like a real date? I've got the perfect plan in mind…"she said.

"Really?" Dani asked excitedly.

"Really" Regina replied as she mimicked her girlfriend's gesture and gave her a soft kiss.

In that moment the classroom door burst open startling the two girls who jumped apart from each other. Emma walked inside the classroom and gazed at Regina with a suspicious yet confused glance. The only thing Regina could do was return her gaze with what she hoped was a haughty smirk. She was supposed to hate Emma, but at this point she was so nervous, the only thing that mattered was not getting caught. Soon after, the rest of the students started coming inside.

Regina let out the breath she had been holding when Emma called Ruby excitedly and they began talking about their own plans for Hogsmeade, but what she failed to notice was the curious glances Emma shot in her direction throughout their Divination class.

* * *

"Surprise!" Regina told Dani as she led her to the basement of the Hogshead. There was a small candlelit table with two hot butterbeer mugs ready and a Magic Summoning menu able to conjure on the spot all kinds of delicious plates.

"Sorry, about the place. I wanted to take you to Rosmerta's but it's where every couple goes and you know..." Regina looked down embarrassed.

" Regina... this is amazing. I can't believe you did all of this for me" Dani said, sweetly smiling. "And now we are finally alone...and we have _all _day to ourselves" she added, as she pulled Regina closer and started to kiss her slowly and passionately. Regina returned the kiss and they soon were engaged in a full make out session.

* * *

"Just a bit longer..."

"If I had known this was going to be practically excavating through a dirt whole, I would have brought something else to wear. I never wear dresses, and it had to be today. I wonder what was going through my mind…" Emma said as she ducked to avoid getting hit by a rock protruding from the wall. She had chosen to wear a knee-high dark green long-sleeved dress with tights and boots.

"Oh come on, babe, don't be such a crybaby." Neal said. "We're almost there. Look, right at the end, there's the door that leads to the Hogshead's basement"

Emma was kind of hurt he didn't compliment her outfit. But yet again, that was part of what made Neal be Neal. He was kind of rough around the edges, and he never talked about his feelings with Emma, nor expected her to do the same. Neal was safe, she didn't have to open up but she still had someone, _and_ she had a lot of fun with him.

"Ok, so we're here" Neal said. "Wanna do the honors?" he added, signaling to the wooden door.

Emma opened the door and was startled by watching Regina and Dani tangled in each other's arms, kissing without a care in the world. Emma felt a whirl of emotions inside her, ranging from surprise, to embarrassment, to an angry feeling she couldn't quite describe.

Neal soon came behind her and watched holding a laugh before he cleared his throat. Regina and Dani sprang apart looking at Neal and Emma with panic in their eyes.

"Emma!" Regina gasped. Her shirt was untucked and only a couple of buttons held it in place. Dani was just looking at Regina nervously.

"Well, well, look at who was hiding in the closet all along: the Slytherin Princess, Regina Mills. The boys won't ever believe this…"

"No… please. Don't tell anyone..." Regina begged and her voice started cracking.

Emma felt strangely protective of Regina and somewhat annoyed at Neal's comment. She had finally found out why Regina was acting so different, but for some reason she didn't care at the moment. She could tell Regina was on the verge of tears.

"Neal, please, shut your mouth and wait for me upstairs. I'll be up in a second." Emma said exasperatedly.

"But, Emma…" he argued still chuckling.

"Go" Emma said firmly.

"Fine" Neal huffed as he climbed up the stairs.

Regina and Dani were expectantly waiting at Emma's comment or reaction. They seemed frozen in place.

"Relax, I'm not gonna tell anyone, Regina." Emma said.

Regina sighed visibly but gave Emma a confused glance.

"We may not get along, but what you do with your love life is none of my concern. I'll make sure Neal doesn't tell anyone."

"Thank you" Regina quietly answered.

"A word of advice though… I don't know why you have to keep this a secret, but I would add a concealing spell, next time…. you know..." she said blushing uncomfortably. " I mean, if Ruby for example was the one who found out… " Emma started rambling nervously, trying her best to keep her gaze off of Regina's showing cleavage.

Dani nodded in understanding, as Regina was unable to meet Emma's gaze.

"Well, I, uh, gotta go," she said as she climbed quickly up the stairs to figure out how to convince Neal.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hi! Sorry for the delay! I'm starting school this week so it's been kind of a busy week for me! I'll try to update as soon as I can though! But here you go... Things are getting interesting in this chapter. R&R!**

* * *

CHAPTER 7: Everything Can Change

Regina was finishing packing for Christmas break, when she heard a knock on her door. "You know you don't have to knock, silly" she said, as she flung the door open.

"Oh, Kathryn, I thought you were… never mind. What are you doing here?" Regina said looking startled.

Kathryn and Regina still got along. Regina kept her relationship with Dani a secret from her childhood friend. Even though she still hung out with Kathryn to keep up appearances, she felt that they had grown apart. Regina had changed so much since she had started dating Dani, she had become more comfortable in her own skin, letting her true interests surface. She had started to take horseback riding lessons again. Cora had allowed it when she was younger, but she had stopped taking them, insisting that she now had more important things to focus on. And Kathryn, well she had become the new Queen Wannabee of the Slytherin crew, trying to imitate every single aspect of Regina's previous bitchy behavior.

"Well, I actually wanted to know if you were ready. We're riding on the same compartment on the train back home, right?"

Regina sighed with inner exasperation. Dani was staying at Hogwarts for the holidays. She was going to miss her, and have to endure her overbearing mother and annoying sister for two whole weeks.

"Yeah, sure, Kath" she said with a forced grin, while closing her trunk.

"Great! Cause I have juicy gossip. You'll never believe what I heard from Killian this morning…" She said, as she linked arms with Regina and led her outside their room continuing her excited chatter.

* * *

"So, are you sure you can't come over to visit?" Emma said wrapping her arms around Neal's neck.

"Sorry babe, but I really need to stay and study for the OWLs" Neal said.

"Since when are you the studious type?" Emma asked humorously and a little bit confused.

"This is serious, Emma. You'll understand when you get to fifth year, trust me" he answered. " I'll be thinking about you, though…" he added apologetically.

Emma huffed. When it came to their studies, Neal always acted as if he knew everything, when Emma knew her grades were far higher than Neal's had been when he was in her year. She liked hanging out with him, and being with an older guy had its perks, but she hated that he still treated her like a little girl sometimes.

"Fine, you better write to me…" she said as she pointed at his chest with her fingers.

"Uh… sure," he answered distractedly turning his gaze back to the castle and then looking down at his watch. " Hey … I have to go. Sorry I can't wait until the train leaves… That ok?" Neal asked sticking his hands inside his pockets.

Emma shrugged "Yeah, whatever"

"Thanks, babe, bye!" Neal said, as he turned and rushed back to the castle, without even hugging her goodbye.

* * *

Regina sat in the train gazing out the window. She was sad and angry she couldn't say goodbye to Dani. Kathryn had practically dragged her to the Hogwarts Express, without giving her any time to figure out an excuse to go and see her girlfriend.

"Regina, what's up with you? I feel like there's something you're not telling me, and we're supposed to be friends."

Regina arched an eyebrow looking at Kathryn. "Well, if I am not telling you something is because it's none of your business" she said, sighing exasperatedly.

"You know, there are rumors… about you and that girl from Ravenclaw… Danielle?" she started with airs of superiority.

Regina kept her poker face on trying not to show any signs of nervousness.

"What about it?"

"Umm… That you've been spending a lot of time with her…" Kathryn replied questioningly.

"Yeah, we're_ friends_ Kathryn… And friends spend time together… Is that so hard to believe?" she replied.

"But she's from Ravenclaw!" Kathryn replied in shock.

Regina started becoming frustrated and raising her voice. "The fact that she's from Ravenclaw doesn't mean anything, Kathryn...Did you know I was almost sorted into Ravenclaw? Yeah, _me, _Regina Mills, with a Slytherin legacy of more than 400 years. The hat almost sent me there…"

"But…. she's not even pure blood, Regina!" Kathryn said while trying to process her friend's revelation.

"You know what, I think I might have been better off in Ravenclaw, where people don't judge you for who you're friends with, and not everything is about who has the purest blood!"

"Well, I thought _we_ were friends, but clearly you're acting like a completely different person. So let me know when the real you comes back and stops talking nonsense"

"What if this is the real me?" Regina asked defiantly.

"Well, whoever you are right now, Regina, is not my friend, so don't expect me to be there or to stand up for you anymore and defend you when people talk and call you a dyke behind your back!" Kathryn said, standing up and slamming the compartment door behind her, leaving an even angrier and slightly panicked Regina inside.

* * *

"Hey, sorry, mother's calling me for dinner! Talk to you tomorrow okay?" Regina said in a low voice talking to the face in the chimney flames before her.

"Sure! I miss you"

"Miss you too Dani" Regina replied as Dani's face disappeared and the fire recovered its original form.

Dani had managed to bypass the floo network security system and communicate with Regina from a chimney in the Room of Requirement to Regina's bedroom. Apparently if someone checked, the fireplace would appear on the record as unregistered since it really didn't exist inside the Room of Requirement unless Dani needed it.

"REGINA!"

"Coming mother!" Regina replied as she walked begrudgingly down the stairs.

She entered the luxurious dining hall in the mansion and sat quietly next to her sister

"What took you so long?" Cora asked coldly.

"I was reading and lost track of time, mother" Regina knew she needed a believable excuse, even if it meant taking up her mother's scolding.

"You and your books, Regina. When are you going to do something that actually gets you somewhere? Look at your sister, she just graduated and she's working as the Junior Assistant to the Minister of Magic. You should do well and follow her footsteps, you have a responsibility to uphold the Mills name and you won't do that by locking yourself up and becoming a bookworm."

"Yes, mother" Regina replied. She hadn't realized how much she had changed until she arrived to her house for this Christmas break. She still wanted to make her mother proud, but she knew deep down that what her mother wanted for her and what she wanted, were never going to be the same. Nonetheless, she knew she still had time and maybe over the years, she could figure out a way to get what she wanted without losing her mother's approval completely.

"Have you talked to Kathryn? Is she coming over sometime?" Zelena asked.

Regina sighed. Great, just what she needed: her nosy sister meddling in front of her mother. She hadn't talked to Kathryn since their disagreement on the train and it didn't look like they were going to be friends anytime soon.

"Uh, we had a fight before Christmas break." Regina replied, too nervous to come up with an excuse. Kathryn's father worked closely with her mother at the ministry, so she would probably know if she lied.

"Really? About what?" Cora interjected.

"Umm, nothing important." Regina said.

"Well, Kathryn has always been immature. I just hope you two figure things out. I would hate to be at odds with the Nolans."

"Yes, mother" Regina said for the second time during dinner.

* * *

Regina was frantic. She couldn't find the letter she was writing to Dani for her birthday. She was going to miss it, so she had decorated a beautiful card and was planning on sending it along with a dress she had bought for her for Christmas.

She was sure she had kept it under the compartment in the bottom of her drawer so no one would it find it, but when she looked for it this morning it wasn't there. She scrambled through her drawers and checked the pockets of her coats and through the jumble of papers inside her trunk but she couldn't find it.

"Were you looking for this?"

Regina froze and turned around finding her mother standing in the door, holding a blue and green card.

Regina gulped and was at a loss for words.

"Do you want to explain the meaning of this Regina? Who is this Dani?" she spat her name looking firmly at Regina.

"A girl from school, mother," she replied, trying not to lose it.

"SHE'S A HALFBLOOD, FROM RAVENCLAW! AND A GIRL, REGINA! Are you insane? " her mother shouted.

Well, "I love her, mother!" Regina said.

"YOU LOVE HER!" Cora looked appalled. "I will not take any more of this nonsense Regina. This has to end now. I can't believe you would stoop to this level. You are a Mills, for Merlin's sake! You end this now, or there will be consequences."

"Mother, please. Don't make me do this." Regina pleaded.

"I'm afraid Regina, it's too late for that. And since you don't seem to be thinking clearly, Regina. I'm afraid I will have to take this matter into my own hands. In the meantime, you are forbidden to leave your room, unless I say so. You will have no access to your owl and… _Fumario obstructo!_" she said, as a bunch of rocks covered the now useless chimney.

"Silly girl, do you think I wouldn't find out? Believe me Regina, this is all for your own good." Cora said.

Regina heard her mother lock the door and seal it with magic, and she burst into tears on top of her bed, not knowing what would happen next.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I'M SO SO SORRY FOR THE HUGE DELAY. I STARTED GRAD SCHOOL SO IT'S JUST BEEN A HUGE ADJUSTMENT WITH A VERY BUSY SCHEDULE. BUT I WILL NOT ABANDON MY STORY OR MY WONDERFUL READERS. SO HERE YOU GO! ENJOY! YOU CAN SCOLD ME FOR THE DELAY IN THE REVIEWS OR BY PM. I DESERVE IT, BUT I HOPE YOU WILL BE UNDERSTANDING TOO =)**

* * *

Chapter 8

Heart Maladies

_"My dearest Regina,_

_I wish I could be there with you, and not have to tell you this like I am doing now. I guess your mother found out about us somehow, and being who she is, she threatened to ban my mom from the Ministry if she didn't agree to transfer me to Beauxbatons, and make me vow never to speak to you again. My heart is crushed, Regina, as I imagine is yours, but I couldn't do this to my mother. You have been amazing, so brave, and you will always hold a special place in my heart. Thank you for letting me know you and for loving me. You're an amazing girl and I'm sure you'll find someone just right for you. And maybe, in the future, our paths will cross again. But, don't wait for me, baby, because I want you to be happy in these years ahead of you. I love you, Regina, and I will never forget you,_

_Dani_

Regina broke into uncontrollable sobs in her bedroom back at Hogwarts. She had spent the rest of the winter locked up in her room. Her mother had left her alone at her house during Christmas, insisting she needed some time to cool off and think about the wrong in her ways. She let her go back to Hogwarts just because she wanted to avoid gossip among the Ministry officials, but she hadn't heard from Dani ever since. She was worried, but she never expected this to happen.

The words she had heard from her mother since she was a little girl echoed in Regina's mind. "Love is weakness" She understood Dani's choice, but at the same time, she was hurt that Dani hadn't even tried to stay or even sneak in to say goodbye. It was over, just like that. She suddenly heard a knock on her door.

"Regina?" she recognized Kathryn's voice behind it. Regina straightened her robes and wiped out her tears. She wouldn't let anyone else in, not her mother, her sister, her friends, or anyone else. She was going to do things her way, even if she ended up alone; hell, she was alone already, so who cares who got hurt in the process. Regina was climbing her way to the top of the Wizarding World and no one was going to stop her.

She wiped her tears and straightened her robe. "Regina... I heard about Dani, and her transfer to Beauxbatons… I…" Kathryn hesitated.

"I'm sorry, but why is that my concern? Regina interrupted nonchalantly. "Come on Kathryn, we're going to be late for our first class" she said. Kathryn walked behind her perplexed but glad that Regina was back to normal.

* * *

Emma was walking aimlessly through the first floor corridor. Something wasn't right but she couldn't put her finger on it. Neal had become more distant lately and he seemed to be avoiding her sometimes He still was his very affectionate self around her, but every time they tried to make plans, Neal would come up with an excuse to bail out, which usually was studying. Emma didn't want to be needy or pushy in any way, but she found it odd that Neal hadn't cared about studying until recently. She justified it in her mind, thinking that it was because he was in 5th year, and the OWLs were approaching.

She suddenly stopped on her tracks next to the empty girls' bathroom. She heard sobbing on the other side of the door and curiosity got the best of her. As she entered the bathroom, she gasped in surprise in finding no other than Regina Mills sitting on the floor with puffy eyes and runny mascara that clearly showed she had been crying for a while.

"Are you ok?" Emma asked hesitantly. She had never seen her in such a state before. She guessed it had to do with Danielle Avery going to Beauxbatons. Regina had reverted back to her old insulting self, but apparently, she hadn't let anyone see how much it was really affecting her.

"What are you doing here, Swan? I'm fine" Regina asked, trying to sound arrogant, but not even bothering to stand up. Why did Emma always have to find her in the most inconvenient moments? She had promised herself not to be weak, and not to let herself be affected by what happened, but it had been too much to bear during the week, so here she was, hiding away from everyone, half mourning and half hating herself for being so weak.

"Oh cut the bullshit, Regina. You know your "attitude"" Emma air quoted, "doesn't work on me. And you know I know what this is about. You are most certainly not fine" Emma sighed. She never thought she would feel compassion for Regina, but something inside her just wanted to comfort the brunette in front of her. She had seen the look of Regina's face in many of the foster homes she had been in before she was adopted. She had even experienced it herself. It was the look of loneliness and hopelessness.

Emma quietly sat down on the cold floor beside Regina, and in a spontaneous gesture, she wrapped her arms around the brunette, enveloping her in a tight hug. Regina tensed against Emma but after a few seconds she broke down sobbing again and relaxed against the blonde's arms. She felt so frail and so helpless that in that moment she didn't care it was her nemesis the one in whom she had found comfort.

Regina's sobs subsided and Emma seemed to realize the awkward situation they were in. Why was she feeling so happy by being able to console Regina Mills, of all people? She felt a connection with Regina that she had never experienced with anyone else before and this scared her to death. Emma awkwardly stood up and looked at a now much more composed Regina who began fixing her own robes beside her. Neither of them was sure of what had happened in that short moment. They weren't talking and avoided looking into each other's eyes. Regina felt weirdly vulnerable and afraid. Nonetheless, she was able to muster in a hoarse voice. "If anyone ever hears about this, Miss Swan, I promise I will make your life miserable, if it is the last thing I do, "she said, as she walked out of the girl's bathroom walking as elegantly as she could.

Emma huffed and rolled her eyes at Regina's threat "A thank you would've been enough," she muttered to herself.


End file.
